It's Berry Season in the Willamette Valley

The Willamette Valley is about to burst into prime season for berries. And we love our berries — they would make almost everyone's list of best Oregon foods.

There's an art to picking a Marion blackberry over a Silvan blackberry or a Willamette red raspberry over a Munger black raspberry, depending on the recipe and time of year. Janie Hibler helps us sort through the choices and shares her favorite berries. Matthew Card offers three can't-miss berry recipes you'll want to serve all season.

The chops can be coated in the spice rub up to 8 hours ahead. If the corn is impeccably fresh, it can be eaten raw; otherwise follow the recipe. If you can't find fresh corn, shaved fennel may be substituted. Serve with soft polenta or boiled new potatoes.

To make chops: In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, fennel, paprika and sugar. Evenly coat pork chops with mixture and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours before cooking.

Thirty minutes before grilling, remove chops from refrigerator. Ignite 6 quarts of charcoal and heat until coals are covered with layer of fine gray ash, about 15 minutes. Spread charcoal into even layer in center of grill bottom, cover with grill grate and allow to heat for 5 minutes. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high (see note).

Space chops evenly over grate and cook, without moving, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook second side until browned, about 6 minutes more (internal temperature near bone should register at least 125 degrees for medium rare, 130 for medium). Transfer to plate and allow to rest at least 10 minutes.

To make relish: Bring large pot of water to boil and cook corn for 5 minutes. Cool corn under cold running water; shave kernels from cob (you should have about 2 cups), and transfer to bowl.

Note: To check grill temperature, count the seconds you can hold your hand, palm side down, 2 to 3 inches above the rack, until it feels uncomfortable: 3 seconds for medium-hot.

Photograph by Mike Davis

Hazelnut Crisp With Berries and Peaches

Makes 4 to 6 servings

You will need a medium-size oven-safe skillet or comparably sized pan (10 to 11 inches across). Feel free to mix any variety of berries for this crisp. If they are particularly sweet or tart, adjust the amount of added sugar to suit your taste. Make sure the butter is quite soft, but not melted; the topping will not come together if the butter is too cold. If adding strawberries, core and quarter them.

Add peaches to skillet and scatter berries over top. Sprinkle cornstarch, remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and a pinch of salt over the top. Using rubber spatula, gently mix together. Pinch off small pieces of topping mixture and scatter in even layer over top of berries. Scatter remaining nuts on top and bake until the filling is bubbling and the topping is dark golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Note: To toast hazelnuts, spread the shelled nuts in a shallow pan and roast in a 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the skins crack. Rub warm nuts with a rough cloth or between your hands to remove as much skin as possible.

Photograph by Mike Davis

Cornmeal Shortcakes With Berries and Brown Sugar Whipped Cream

Makes 4 to 6 servings

For the best flavor, look for stone-ground cornmeal, such as locally produced Bob's Red Mill brand. Feel free to blend your favorite berries and be creative: Chopped peaches or stewed rhubarb are also welcome additions. If adding strawberries, core and quarter them.

Shortcakes:

1 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 egg yolk, plus 1 egg (divided)

1/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus additional sugar for topping

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into -inch pieces

Berries:

3 to 4 cups mixed berries

Pinch salt

2 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar

Whipped cream:

2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar

Pinch salt

2 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraîche

1 cup whipping cream

To make shortcakes: Whisk together cream, vanilla, egg yolk and cornmeal. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow cornmeal to hydrate.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. In food processor combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and pulse to blend. Scatter butter over top and combine with 10 one-second pulses. Transfer mixture to bowl and pour liquid over top. Using rubber spatula, fold ingredients together until just combined and they form a uniform mass (a little loose flour is OK).
Scoop and pack the batter into a -cup measuring cup, and shape into 6 uniform cakes; position evenly on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Beat remaining egg and brush it liberally over top of cakes; sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool.

To make berries: While shortcakes bake, combine berries with salt and sugar; allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving. (If you want a particularly saucy texture, smash a portion of the berries with the back of a spoon.)

To make whipped cream: Just before serving, combine brown sugar, salt, sour cream and whipping cream in a large bowl and beat to soft peaks. Split shortcakes and cover each bottom with dollop of whipped cream, followed by berries and remaining whipped cream. Top with shortcake top and drizzle any remaining berry juices on plate around shortcakes.

— Recipes by Matthew Card

How to choose and use Oregon berries

Marion blackberry: Commonly called marionberries, these have that quintessential wild berry flavor that I always look for in a blackberry, plus they freeze beautifully, even holding their shape after being frozen. I particularly like to bake with marions; their complex tannic juice pairs perfectly with cinnamon and cardamom in coffee cake and muffins. I buy them by the flat when I'm making preserves or stocking my freezer for winter use. They are the world's leading commercial blackberry and, like all of Oregon's berries, are grown right in our backyard -- the Willamette Valley.

Silvan blackberry: Silvans are the first blackberry to ripen and launch the beginning of our blackberry season. They are big and juicy with an intricate fruity flavor from their boysen/marion heritage. I use them fresh and cooked, but since they are a softer berry, I tend not to freeze them.

Chester blackberry: By mid-August, Chesters are finally ripe and their notoriously productive canes will keep us supplied with fresh berries until the first frost. My aunt grows them in Northern California, and every year her entire crop is purchased by two women who are famous in Humboldt County for the blackberry pies they sell -- a testament to the fruit's full-bodied blackberry flavor. Chesters are a firmer blackberry, making them especially good cooked, or they can be frozen for future use.

Willamette red raspberry: I find these floral, aromatic raspberries have the perfect balance of tartness and acidity, no doubt the reason they are the primary raspberry grown in the Pacific Northwest. I buy them by the flat for the freezer so I can make raspberry sauces throughout the year. The sauce always needs a pinch of sugar to balance its acidity and brighten its dark red color. For an exotic flavor, I heat the sweetened sauce just until it's barely warm with a few torn rose geranium leaves. (Rose geranium plants are available at local nurseries.) When it's cool and perfumey, I remove the leaves and serve it over poundcake or raspberry gelato.

Munger black raspberry: Black raspberries tend to be slightly dry but they are sweet and jammy, reminiscent of a Moreno cherry but with a distinct flavor all their own. When I'm making a blueberry pie, I often toss in a handful of black raspberries. The blueberries provide plenty of juice while the black raspberries add a big blast of flavor -- berry synergy at its best.

Boysenberry: These luscious wine-red giants are sweet and intensely aromatic -- a result of their blackberry-raspberry parents. Boysenberries are what preserves, pies and cobblers were created for. I buy them fresh whenever I find them, and I always have several flats stored in my freezer for superior winter baking. Like marionberries, boysenberries can stand up to the assertive flavor of warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom, but you'll need to balance their sweetness with an acid, such as a teaspoon or two of lime juice.

Loganberry: Think of the dusty maroon logan as the lemon of the blackberry world. They are exceptionally tart, and I love to mix them with other berries, such as boysenberries, which are very sweet and ripen at about the same time. The acid in the logans brings out the fruitiness of both berries. Loganberries also make great pies and preserves on their own, and I'm crazy about loganberry ice cream. I substitute buttermilk for part of the cream.